Antonino Votto

Antonino Votto (October 30, 1896 - September 9, 1985) was an Italian operatic conductor. Votto developed an extensive discography with the Teatro alla Scala in Milan during the 1950s, when EMI produced the bulk of its studio recordings featuring Maria Callas. His studio collaborations with Callas included Verdi's "Un ballo in maschera", Puccini's "La bohème", Bellini's "La sonnambula", and Ponchielli's "La Gioconda". Though Votto was a dependable conductor, critics frequently faulted his recordings for their lack of emotional immediacy. This may have been an occupational hazard of working in the studio, as his live sets with Callas, including a "Norma" (Dec. 1955, La Scala) and "La Sonnambula" (1957, Cologne) are often considered to be among the finest versions of these pieces ever put on record.